Adjustable socket wrench



Sept. 21 1926. 4

4 J. C. SMITH ADJUSTABLE SOCKET WRENCH Filed March 3, 1923 firm I Jmwey cns'ml Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

JAMES C. SMITH, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE socxn'r wnnucn.

Application filed March 8, 1923. Serial No. 623,754.

The present invention relates to improvements in wrenches and has articular reference to the kind of wrenc 168 known as socket wrenches, which are particularly adapted for the handling of nuts or bolts in inaccessible places due to the fact that the socket is provided at the end of a shank and rotary motion is imparted to the shank by means engaging the same from the nut or bolt a suitable distance. renches of this kind have been used before but the particular object of the present invention is to provide a socket wrench that is adjustable so as to be suited for a large number of different sized nuts. Vithout this adjustable feature it-requires a large plurality of socket wrenches to take care of all'the nuts or bolts on a large machine, such as for instance an automobile, while with my adjustable feature one, or at the most two, wrenches will comfortably handle all the nuts or bolts.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows a side view of my socket wrench; Flgure 2 a vertical section through the same; Figure 3 a detail view of an interior part of the wrench; Figure 4 an end view of a wrench having an extra set of jaws attached thereto; Figure 5 an end view of a wrench without the extra set of jaws; and Figure 6 a detail view of one of the ex tra jaws referred to. While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claim hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The shank (1) of my wrench terminates at its upper end in a square portion (2) adapted to be secured in a suitable brace or other means for imparting rotary motion to the shank. A11 intermediate portion of the shank is threaded exteriorly as shown at (3) and the lower end provided with a flat extension (4) adapted to receive parallel lips (6) extending upwardly from each of the two jaws (7 and (8). The lips are pivotally secured to the reduced extension (4) by means of suitable pins (9). The two jaws (7 and (8) are symmetrical in form, each jaw being substantially semi-circular in cross section, and the two jaws touching along a flat surface (11) forming the base for each semi-circle. The outer faces of the two jaws at a place removed are curved as shown particularly well in Figure 2 so that the jaws increase in cross section toward the bottom. A spring (12) engages registering grooves (13) in the jaws and has a tendency to force the latter apart.

The jaws shown in Figure 2 and Figure 5 are made to operate on hexagonal nuts and each jaw is therefore provided with internal faces (14) diverging from one another at an angle of 120 degrees with opposing faces running parallel. It will be understood that a socket wrench of this character will, of course, engage an hexagonal nut on four faces only. A cylindrical recess (16) is provided in the two jaws above the nut engaging the faces to accommodate the threaded end of a bolt that might extend beyond the nut tobe loosened or tightened. T o tighten the nut engaging faces (14) on the nut, I provide a sleeve (17) threadedly engaging the shank (1) as shown as (18) and corresponding in form with the outlines of the two jaws. After the sleeve is screwed clownwardly on the shank the jaws will be forced together against the opposition of the spring (12) and caused to make firm contact with the nut to be worked on. In ,case there should be any danger of the sleeve working loose, I provide a dog (21) pivotally secured in the sleeve as shown at (22) and adapted to engage one of a plurality of longitudinal grooves (23) in the jaws, a spring (24) tending to force the dog into the groove.

If the jaws are made to operate on an hexagonal nut it might be desired to use the same tool for a square nut, and for this purpose I provide an extra pair of nut engaging elements shaped externally to fit the faces (14) of the two jaws, and internally to engage a nut of square cross section.

The inner faces (27) of these elements are I arranged at angles of 90 degrees, and pins (28) extend upwardly from each element and engage registering recesses (29) in the jaws for holding the elements in place, the fit of the pins within the recesses being sufficiently tight toprevent the dropping of the elements due to the'action of gravity alone.

The use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description: If an hexagonal nut is to be loosenedor tightened endwise motion of the sleeve (17) on the shank will set the jaws to fit the nut and one wrench will serve to operate a large range of nuts. If the nut to he handled is of square cross section, it is only necessary to insert the two nut engaging elements (26) and to again set the same at the proper distance by means of the threaded sleeve (17).

It should be understood, of course, that the socket may originallybe made to fit a square nut, in Which case the auxiliary elements (26) Would be made to engage an hexago- 10 nal nut.

I claim A socket Wrench comprising a shank, tvv'o jaws pivotally secured to its end in cooperative relation having coacting nut engaging surfaces at'their lower ends, an extra set of nut engaging elements made to conform to a different shaped nut than the first mentioned jaws and having pins'extending upwardly therefrom adapted to engage registering recesses in the jaws,- and a sleeve threadedly engaging the shank adapted to be forced upon the jaws so as to close the latter on a nut.

JAMES 0. SMITH. 

